


OhmToonz Adventures

by Zephyra_loves_fandoms



Series: Banana Bus Squad Fanfiction [2]
Category: Banana Bus Squad
Genre: Changing Perspectives, Drabble Collection, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I'll add more tags later, M/M, Mutual Pining, Work In Progress, it's just a lot of angst, they're both idiots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27141238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zephyra_loves_fandoms/pseuds/Zephyra_loves_fandoms
Summary: This is a collection of OhmToonz side stories. They all take place before my other fic which focuses more on Vanoss and them. These stories are all related to one another and mainly consist of the relationship between Ohm and Cartoonz. Squirrel and Delirious are in there sometimes but mainly as side characters. If you're more interested in the overarching story, check it out:
Relationships: Luke Patterson/Ryan | Ohmwrecker
Series: Banana Bus Squad Fanfiction [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1089165
Comments: 5
Kudos: 13





	1. A Night in the Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note about the whole "19.514 A.E.A.W." thing you see at the beginning. This is the year that this happened. So, it is the year "nineteen thousand five-hundred and fourteen After Earth After War". These stories are based in an original universe I created which doesn't apply to this part of the series so much as it does the over arching story. In any case, that's all I wanted to note.
> 
> Enjoy!

Cartoonz POV: 19.514 A.E.A.W.

My head popped off the pillow with a small jolt. For a moment, I contemplated why I was awake. A quick glance at the clock on my bedside table said that it was 4:30am. Frowning, I tried rolling over and going back to sleep. I waited for several moments for sleep to take hold but it never did. Instead, I was left scowling at the wall in front of my face in the dark.

Groaning, I sat up and drew my hands over my face. With a deep sigh, I got up and trudged out of my room and down the hall to the bathroom. Delirious and I had been up until 1 in the morning watching movies. I hadn’t expected to be up so soon afterwards. 

However, on my way back from the bathroom, something tingled in the back of my mind. At first, I ignored it. On my way back to my room though, I passed the staircase leading upstairs. Instinctively, my attention was drawn to the top. I paused at the bottom steps, still feeling a strange buzz in my mind. Part of me wanted to go back to bed but another part knew I was awake now. There would be no sleep until I could figure out what was wrong.

So, I slowly made my way up the stairs. Delirious’ room sat at the top. However, knowing he was even more irritable than me when being woken up, I tried to be quiet to avoid waking him. As I passed his room, my eyes were drawn to the next door down. Suddenly, it made sense why I was awake. Even from here, I could hear the small sniffles coming from the room next door.

As quietly as possible, I made my way to the door and reached for the handle. Surprisingly, the door was already cracked open. From beyond, I could make out the quiet heart-wrenching sob that I hated so much.

Before I could even think about what I was doing, I pushed open the door. A quiet creak in the hinges caused the sniffles to stop immediately. Across the room, a figure sprouted from the bed frame. I froze unintentionally when a pair of iridescent green eyes burst into existence. It had been a while since I’d seen Ohm’s eyes without the bandana Delirious gave him. No matter how many times I saw them, they still stopped me dead in my tracks. There was a challenge in those green eyes- a warning. Heeding that warning, I straightened and leaned casually against the doorframe without approaching any further. Surprise flashed in the eyes burning through me as I spoke.

“Still awake huh?”

“Cartoonz.” Ohm whispered as though he’d just realized it was me. He paused for a moment. “How did you…?”

I shrugged and folded my arms. “My Ohm senses were tingling.”

Ohm narrowed his eyes caustically. I resisted the urge to shrink. After 7 years, it wasn’t often that I found Ohm intimidating but this was one of those exceptions. The irony lay in the fact that I could hear him stifling a sniffle in the silence that followed. My feet moved of their own accord at the sound. Within seconds, I found myself at the edge of his bed, looking down at the small burrito sitting beneath me. Ohm stared up at me, his eyes still heated. I could just make out his face under the faint glow of moonlight from a nearby window.

Without a word, I reached forward and gently brushed the back of a finger across his cheek. He sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes fluttering shut briefly. As much as I enjoyed the contact, the fact that my finger came away warm and wet made me do a full body cringe. Ohm stayed eerily still as I straightened.

“I knew it.” I whispered without a thought. Through the darkness, I could barely see Ohm’s teeth flash as he grimaced and turned away. I wanted to slap myself as I watched him curl self-consciously into his blankets.

Careful not to sound like I was sighing, I drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. The smell of rotten strawberries filtered into my nose as I did so, making me frown. Not only that, I noticed as I glanced down that Ohm’s blankets looked different. Even in the darkness, I could tell the top blanket was paler than the rest. Reaching down, I touched the outstretched cloth and found that it was fuzzier than I expected. I repressed a groan.

_ Of course he didn’t take that well.  _ I grumbled, admonishing myself for speaking without thinking once again in this situation.

Sighing lightly, I sat down on the edge of the bed at a respectful distance. I could feel Ohm shift a little behind me. However, I resisted the urge to look over my shoulder and confirm that as I folded my hands in my lap.

“Given you have the blanket, I’m guessing you don’t wanna talk about it.”

Silence. Which was answer enough.

I nodded a little. “You know you don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. Your secrets are safe with me.”

For several moments, neither of us spoke. I could hear the sound of rain hitting the roof outside and the quiet hiss of the wind through the trees. Ohm’s sniffles were quieter and farther in between as time went on. I simply waited, my eyes flickering around the room. Things were becoming a little clearer in the darkness. I could just make out Ohm’s desk on the other side of the room. One of the pictures was laying flat on top of the dresser. From past experience, I knew it was one of the few pictures Ohm had of his favorite brother.

“How did you know?” The question drew me back abruptly from my thoughts.

“I told you-” I started with a smile only to be cut off by Ohm’s voice.

“Seriously Toonz.” I paused, unsure of what to say. This kind of thing had happened before once or twice but I still wasn’t entirely sure I had woken up because of Ohm.

“I don’t know. Something just felt off.” For a moment, he was silent. I resisted the urge to turn back as I heard him clear his throat.

“It was my family.” He said, voice barely above a whisper. His next words delivered a painful blow to my gut. “The day they tried selling me off.”

“Ohm...” Tension crackled through the air. He didn’t say anything, but I knew a warning when I felt it.

_ That explains the blanket _ . I thought to myself as I turned to look at him. 

Ohm was still curled up in the blankets. Green shimmered through the cracks of his eyelids. Anything from his eyes down was covered by the white fuzzy blanket which he had pulled up tightly around his shoulders. Part of me wondered if it still smelled like his brother, the one who helped him escape. Another part wished I could’ve met that brother and thanked him for helping bring Ohm into my life.

“You didn’t have to say anything if you were uncomfortable.” I chided him lightly. Ohm curled deeper into his blankets, his eyes closing fully. When he spoke, his voice was muffled.

“I rarely hide anything from you these days Toonzy. What’s one more thing to add to the list.”

“Thank you.” I half-whispered. That earned a confused arc of an eyebrow from Ohm as he glanced up at me. “For trusting me I mean.”

Ohm considered me for several moments. In any other circumstance, prolonged eye contact didn’t bother me. In fact, it was always the other person that looked away first whenever I made eye contact with them. 

There was something different about Ohm though. A certain intelligence and power I could see wreathing just below the surface. Looking into his eyes was like looking up into space and wondering if you’re actually upside down, looking down into the depths of the universe. His eyes made me question everything I knew about myself. I couldn’t bring myself to look away though. There was something alluring about that kind of existential questioning. Ohm made me question myself and my actions but, in doing so, made me want to be a better person. Whether I wanted to be better because of him and for him was a question I was finding myself wrestling more and more often these days.

My thoughts were broken as Ohm shifted and a hand was produced from under the blankets. Ohm dropped his gaze as he reached for me. Just before his fingers could touch my shirt, he hesitated. For a moment, I figured he’d draw back like usual. This time was different though. This time, he reached out and hooked his fingers in the hem of my shirt and fisted the material in desperation. As I watched, his eyes grew a little duller and more watery as he silently clung to me. My heart threatened to burst with warmth.

Ever so slowly, I reached back and pried his fingers from my shirt. He let go easy enough but now I could feel him shaking. Careful not to move too fast but without staying apart any longer than necessary, I stood and turned to face Ohm, his wrist still in my hand, and laid down on my side across from him. I propped my head up on one hand and allowed the other to rest with Ohm’s in between us. 

A soft sob racked his body as he squeezed his eyes shut. I frowned, my thumb rubbing little circles over the soft spot on Ohm’s wrist. That only seemed to draw a soft whine from somewhere deep within his chest. The sound drew me closer until I was looking up into what little of Ohm’s face I could see from mere inches away. I didn’t want to overstep my bounds. I knew Ohm was a stickler for personal boundaries but this felt like one of those times that I had to press them.

So, I shifted even closer until I could throw an arm around the burrito that was Ohm and draw him close to me. Soon, his face was against my chest. I could feel his warm breath even through my shirt as he let out a shallow gasp. For that singular moment, I was afraid I had gone too far.

My anxiety was thrown aside as Ohm clutched at my shirt. He buried his face into my chest and sobbed. This cry was nothing like before. He didn’t hold back. Suddenly, the flood gates were thrown open and my shirt was drenched in snot and tears. I didn’t mind though because, as time wore on and Ohm’s body grew tired of exuding so much energy, I could feel him relaxing bit by bit until his breathing evened out and his hands were loosely curled in my shirt. It was almost enough to make me cry as well. 

Ohm never trusted anyone. He had no reason to trust anyone. Anyone he’d ever met betrayed him in some way. To know that someone who never trusted anyone farther than he could throw them trusted battle-scarred prick and local asshole me was by far the greatest achievement I’d ever received in my life. That was enough for me to stay. Enough for me to fight through his hardened exterior, to soothe his traumas and open up my arms to him. Enough for me to say “I’m here for you and I will always be here for you”. Enough for me to stay up at 4 in the morning, watching over him as he slept peacefully probably for the first time in a while. And almost enough for me to finally get up the courage to tell him I loved him with my entire heart and soul. But not quite enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3


	2. An OhmToonz Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Everyone! Long time no see~
> 
> I wrote a small, hurt/comfort type Christmas OhmToonz short for you guys! I was meant to finish this on Christmas Eve last month but we all see how that went ^^’ It’s been very eventful these past few weeks. I wrote most of this at about 2am in a hotel room so that should describe my life perfectly right about now XD
> 
> Anyways!
> 
> !!Content Warning!!: References to Childhood Trauma Please read at your own discretion! If you’re still here, then:
> 
> Enjoy!

**Christmas Eve 15.516 A.E.A.W: Ohm’s Perspective**

Holidays were always loathsome. Every holiday memory of mine was filled with too many voices and too much fighting. Everyone crowding to be heard at the expense of another. When I was a kid, there was never a day spent where I wasn’t working to the point of collapse from sunrise to sunset. I never had time to rest. There were deeds to be paid and work to be done. My family wasn’t the forgiving type either. It didn’t matter if someone was sick or exhausted beyond belief; they were expected to work under any circumstances. Unlike the other kids, my holidays were never enjoyable.

Christmas especially lost its luster far before I had the chance to appreciate it. We never had a Christmas tree. Either it was too expensive, or we were too busy to even set one up. There were never presents to be eagerly opened Christmas morning. My siblings and I woke up early every day no matter what. Even on Christmas morning, we were always required to wake up early, not for the sake of presents, but for the sake of training. Christmas wasn’t anything special.

As an adult, Christmas was a little different. Nowadays, I had friends to celebrate with and a house to celebrate in. It had been 8 years since I met Cartoonz and Delirious. Fighting beside them for so long had forged a bond stronger than I ever had with my blood family. I hadn’t seen them in years. The last time I saw my family was two years before I ran into Cartoonz on that fateful assassination mission. The mere memory brought a smile to my face.

For hours now, I’d been staring at the ceiling. It was nice and cozy in the house. Curled up under my blankets, I felt like I was on cloud nine. For the first time in a few months, Cartoonz, Delirious, Squirrel and I had finally been able to sit in the house for more than a week. The extended luxury of a fluffy bed had my muscles limp with comfort every morning now.

Despite that, my mind continued whirling. It wasn’t unusual. I found myself lying awake at night, staring into the empty abyss of my room more often than I’d like to admit. Normally, it was anxiety that kept me awake. I’d sit there and think about everything I had to do the next day, writing and deleting and rewriting lists of “Things to Do” when I woke up the next morning. My body would sometimes ache with the need to do something, anything, to keep my mind busy. Sometimes, these thoughts would keep me up all night until the sun rose, rosy and red, the next morning.

Tonight was different. I was awake but it was because I felt almost too relaxed. The house was quiet. Too quiet. Normally, I was the first to bed and everyone would still be awake when I fell asleep. Tonight though, there were no noises. No voices to lull me to sleep. Not even the hiss of wind or hoot of an owl could be heard outside. Four-foot snow drifts dampened all the sounds of the forest. It had been snowing for weeks now. That was part of the reason why we were still home. A month had already passed sitting in the comfort of our own home and relaxing through the holidays.

Humming, I sat up in bed and swung my legs over the side. For a moment, I sat, contemplating life. I glanced over at my clock to see that it was 11:16pm. Still another 44 minutes until Christmas. I stood and stretched a little, the blankets falling from my shoulders as I did so. My phone sat, blank and unlit on my night stand. I considered taking it with but decided against it as I wrapped my top blanket around my shoulders and quietly made my way towards my bedroom door.

The hallway beyond was dark and silent. Squirrel’s room hummed with the sounds coming from his white noise generator. He never could sleep in complete silence. From down the way, I could just barely hear Delirious snoring. The sound made me smile. There were many nights where I woke up to Cartoonz standing over the other demon with a pillow in hand, ready to put a permanent end to the noise. Usually, I would stay up long enough to watch them duke it out before going to bed again. A soft pit of emotion welled in my chest at the thought.

Wrapping my blanket tighter around my shoulders, I made my way downstairs.

As I rounded the corner to the kitchen, my eyes caught on the massive Christmas tree further beyond in the dining room. We built this house three years ago. Originally, for that first Christmas here, we were just supposed to get a fake tree to put up. It was going to be small. We were only going to buy tiny decorations for it and shove it in a corner. For every one of us, two of which had neglectful childhoods and two who had never experienced a true Christmas, we weren’t sure what else to do.

Cartoonz though, as always, insisted that we go big or go home. The man went out into the forest that year and chopped down the biggest pine tree he could find and hauled it all the way back home. Squirrel and I accompanied him of course. Admittedly, we helped a little despite Cartoonz’s insistence on carrying the massive 12ft pine home by himself. Delirious had refused to come because Cartoonz had eaten his candy the previous day. The greatest thing about that day was watching Cartoonz fight his way through the snow with a massive tree strapped to his back. He face-planted so many times his beard turned white. Squirrel and I were rendered useless more often than not from sheer laughter. Witnessing this 6 foot burly warrior of steel get crushed under pine needles as he tried to shove the tree through the door was the funniest thing I’d ever seen in my life. Never had I laughed that hard, especially during the holidays. It took us 20 minutes just to get the tree off him since we were laughing so hard.

Three years later and that same tree was still alive and kicking. Nowadays, it sat in a pot of soil in the corner. We watered it only when need be. That was a whole other endeavor. Potting the stupid tree had been the most difficult thing I’d ever done in my life. Despite it being a group effort, it still took us hours. By the time we all finished, we were covered in dirt and tree sap. That was the only time we bought potting soil. What wasn’t used on the tree was subsequently thrown at each other and then swept up off the floor the next day or washed down the shower drain.

The tree stayed where it was year-round. Just a few weeks ago, when December started, all four of us had taken to decorating it. Sparkly silver and gold ornaments hung from the branches. White lights wreathed around the outside while red ribbon had been interwoven amongst the decorations. At the very top, sat a poorly constructed red and white bow. I’d spent hours on it last year, but bows weren’t part of my training as a kid. The others had made fun of me for it. In the end, we still put it up there.

Underneath the bow, sat four individual decorations. They were the only ones on the tree besides the ornaments. A medium sized wreath with gold trimming for Squirrel. A translucent dove with a blue bowtie for Delirious. A deep, midnight purple tree for me and then a bright, sparkly red and black ornament for Cartoonz. We bought them that first Christmas spent in the house. Every year so far, we made it a tradition to hold the ladder while each person put their ornament on the tree. Cartoonz always went first since he got the tree. Then, it was always Delirious after winning a wrestling match with Squirrel. And, every year, I always got to put my ornament next to theirs and look down to see all three of them grinning up at me, the light of the tree making their faces ten times brighter than ever before. I never saw the point of Christmas, but that sight always made me feel some type of way.

Even now, late at night with no one awake, I could feel that emotion within me. It was hard to place. Happiness mingled with a melancholy tang offered a strange twisting of nerves in my chest. I rubbed at the spot absently, wondering not for the first time if this was what everyone called the “Christmas spirit”.

Humming, I went past the entrance to the dining room and turned into the living room. To my surprise, the TV was on. Between the Christmas lights and the dimly lit fireplace, the room practically glowed. Images flashing on the TV added an interesting clash of atmosphere. There was no sound, but I could see closed captions appearing at the bottom of the screen. Our big couch sat with its back to me in the middle of the room. Over it, I could just barely see a familiar head of short, chestnut colored hair. A smile appeared on my face involuntarily as I quietly walked over and leaned on the back of the couch.

“Hello.”

Cartoonz jumped so far off the couch, he almost dropped his half eaten bowl of popcorn. His dark brown eyes flashed up to me. I chuckled lightly at the wide-eyed puppy dog look on his face. He let out a dramatic breath and placed a hand over his heart.

“Ohm, you scared the shit outta me. No joke. I may have to go check my pants.”

I made a noise of disgust, a small giggle escaping me as I walked around the couch to sit down. Cartoonz watched me with a gentle smile. I ducked my head a little as I sat down sideways on the couch with my back resting against the arm rest.

Without a word, I reached over to his bowl of popcorn and stole a handful for myself. Popping a few kernels in my mouth, I settled into my seat. Cartoonz watched with that selfsame half smile of his that always made my insides do flips. Instead of acknowledging the feeling, I pulled my blanket closer around my shoulders and nodded at him.

“Didn’t expect anyone to be up.” Cartoonz smiled a little wider and glanced at the TV.

I looked over to see that he was watching one of his favorite childhood TV shows. The little cartoon characters fluttered noiselessly across the screen. He always watched this show in December while everyone slept. Last year, on a night like this, he had confided in me. He told me this show had always played near Christmas time when he was younger, before he turned 10. Those nights where he watched this show were his favorites. His parents were never up at night so that was always when he watched it. To this day, I wasn’t sure that anyone but me knew this information.

“Ohm?” I glanced over at Cartoonz to see him watching me quizzically.

“I see you’re keeping up your holiday tradition.” I mused, eating a few more kernels from my hand. Cartoonz looked back at the TV and smiled serenely.

“It’s nice to be able to watch it in the comfort of my own living room instead of a motel.”

I hummed to let him know I’d heard him but didn’t say anything. My thoughts coiled around themselves gently as I absently ate the rest of the popcorn in my hand. Before I even finished eating, the bowl was presented to me. I glanced over at Cartoonz with a small smile.

“Thanks, but I’m good.” Cartoonz retracted the bowl and nodded.

“So…” He hummed, munching thoughtfully on more popcorn. I caught the careful glance he gave me out of the corner of my eye. “Why are you up so late? I thought for sure everyone was out after all that.”

“I didn’t drink that much. I dunno about you.” I huffed, fluffing my blanket out to cover my entire body. Cartoonz shrugged.

“Eh. I had a few shots. Nothin’ to get worked up over.”

“I honestly thought we’d have to take those two to the hospital with how much they were drinking.” I admitted quietly. Cartoonz chuckled.

“They woulda been fine. Their stomachs are like black holes. If anything, alcohol is like caffeine to them. Gives them a lotta energy.”

“Squirrel’s a light weight as usual.” I replied, my thoughts drifting as I continued watching the TV.

“Delirious said it has something to do with their genes. They can use alcohol as fuel, but it works better for Delirious cause the process is faster.”

“Those two never cease to amaze me.” I sighed. A soft sound escaped mu chest as I stretched out to lay more comfortably across the couch. Cartoonz shifted to give me a little room. I could still feel him close to my feet though as I curled up under my warm blanket.

“Speaking of which, what’d you get everyone for Christmas?” I rolled my eyes and brought my blanket up to my shoulders.

“You know we don’t really do presents.”

“Yeah, but you always do something special for everyone.” Cartoonz argued. I hummed in response. “Don’t ‘hm’ me. I know it’s you that gets the really good stuff every year.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Bullshit. I’ve seen you up late at night wrappin’ that shit up and the way you mysteriously disappear in the stores. You ain’t slick.”

“Santa must be really good at what he does.” I mused as nonchalantly as possible. Cartoonz’s gaze shifted to me, making me squirm self-consciously.

“Toot your own horn why doncha.” I couldn’t help but smirk. A giggle threatened to escape my chest as I covered my face with my blanket. Cartoonz sighed in defeat and turned away.

He was right, of course. We had agreed that first year not to do presents. We were still unpacking things and trying to keep celebrations to a minimum. The least we did was decorate the tree. After waking up to the beautifully lit pine though, blaring in its beauty, but lacking in presents and happy music and the general “Christmas spirit”, I swore I’d make every Christmas as enjoyable as possible from there on out. Ever since then, I spent all year noting down all the things that the boys looked at a little too often. Things that they picked up or talked about a lot but never got for themselves. I wrote down all their interests in a notes sheet on my phone. Every year, I would take that list to the store and buy at least four things I wrote down for each person- if not more depending on price and size. I always tried to do it without them noticing. Cartoonz was the only exception of course.

That second Christmas was the best. Being able to have hot cocoa and presents and decorations that morning and watching Squirrel and Delirious light up with joy and excitement had been the most gratifying experience ever. More than that, I remembered how Cartoonz had stared at the tree. He had looked around, pleasantly confused, as the other two dug into presents like little kids. When Delirious pulled out the present I’d specifically picked for him, he stared at it for a long time. That was the first time I saw him cry. There were only a few tears, but they were enough. I remember watching him gingerly pulling that little watch from the box. It was one that he had always wanted but never got. Seeing more tears spring from his eyes as he carefully put it on almost brought me to my knees. He still had that watch. He only wore it on special occasions because he “didn’t want to ruin the perfect gift”.

As for Squirrel, he had never experienced something like this before. He’d never had the opportunity to open presents for himself. In fact, I remember watching as he stared at Delirious, whose face was a mess at that point, with confusion. The initial excitement of something new had turned to uncertainty. By that point, he’d only been on the Surface for a few months. We hadn’t celebrated a birthday or anything like that for him back then. When he opened the first present with his name on it, it was like he’d been given a box of rocks. He didn’t know how to react. 

I remember watching the confusion spill over his face as he unwrapped the statue he’d been staring at for the past few months. He had looked to Delirious for guidance but found none. Delirious was in his own world at that point. So, I remember him turning to me with awe in his eyes as he held the statue up for me to see. Cartoonz and I had made our way over and assured him that it was his. What he held in his hands was a gift. For him and him alone to enjoy. The concept took a while for him to fully comprehend, but I could see the gratitude in his eyes as he opened one present after the other and found they were all filled with the things he’d been longing for.

When all was said and done, it was Cartoonz who struggled with the presents the most. He stood back and watched the whole thing with a soft smile. Only when Delirious pulled out two presents with Cartoonz’s name on them did he seem to comprehend what was happening. I remember the caution with which he’d taken the boxes. He shook them a little before opening them up. Each gift, small as they were, brought fresh waves of bewilderment to his face. I remember feeling my heart drop as his face sank in on itself. Confusion turned into sadness and even more unease. He left the room soon after.

I remember thinking I’d done something wrong. Perhaps I’d insulted him or brought up some bad memories. Worried, I went to find him while Delirious and Squirrel were distracted. When I found him, he was in his room, crouched on the ground. I remember the sniffles. The soft sob. When I walked towards him, he had instantly stood up and hugged me tighter than I’d ever been hugged before. No words were spoken that day. That moment was never brought up even after we left the room. I remember the way held me though, as though he’d shattered into a million pieces and I was the only thing that could put him back together. I remember crying for him and the suffering he’d endured.

“It’s strange, huh.” Cartoonz mused.

I blinked out of my memories and looked over my shoulder at him. He was looking around at the decorations, his face open and completely vulnerable under the dim light. There was a sense of awe in his eyes. Like someone looking into the night sky only to slowly realize that they were but a piece of a massive puzzle. Something about that expression struck a chord in my heart. In this state, Cartoonz wasn’t as guarded as he was in the daytime. Admittedly, that was the part I loved about our late-night talks. The vulnerability of it all and knowing no one else saw him like this.

“What’s strange?” I inquired quietly. Cartoonz gestured at the room around us.

“This.”

I looked up at the decorations, the pretty lights, and the small fireplace. Stockings hung over the edge. Along all the walls, there were few pictures. Mostly, there were posters, and in the corner, there was a decent sized shrine of action figures and the likes which Cartoonz and Delirious had collected over the years. Every piece of furniture and every decoration was bought with our hard-earned money. I’d never been able to call a place “home” before, but this house was very close. Cartoonz made a soft noise of disbelief.

“I sit here sometimes, and I just can’t fathom the idea that I’m free to do what I want. I’m not forced to do anything or forced to fight my way to breakfast with all the other trainees. Instead, I can just… relax.” His last word was spoken with a sort of broken reverence. The kind of emotion you hear in a war veteran’s voice as they reminisce about their one good memory amidst the battles.

I shifted so I could see him from over my blankets without sitting up. Subconsciously, I shifted my feet to get more comfortable and accidentally brushed my foot against his leg in the process. He looked over at me, his expression suddenly fully engaged. It was like the man was caught on every word I spoke. As though I was bestowing a prophecy upon him and he was drinking in every word. I ducked away from the intensity of his gaze, shielding myself with my blankets. The onslaught of heat to my cheeks was already creeping up my neck. I cleared my throat a little before speaking.

“Yeah no, I get it... It’s weird being able to relax like this and simply enjoy life without constantly looking over my shoulder.” I paused, measuring my next words carefully. “Sometimes, I feel as if I’m committing a crime sitting around like this. I should be out somewhere, doing something, making something of myself, but…”

I trailed off, unable to find the words for the emotions I felt welling up inside. One hand subconsciously went to my chest once more. For a moment, I couldn’t think of anything. My thoughts just dwindled until there was an empty void in my mind. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The cartoon characters on the TV across from me were dancing. Something warm and gentle touched the blanket just above my ankles.

“It’s better now though, right?” I looked down at him, tilting my head at the conflicted look in his dark, mocha eyes. “Better now that you can relax and not have to constantly think in the comfort of your own home.”

“You’re worried.” I sank into the couch as the observation washed over me. Cartoonz’s face pinched as it always did when he was in denial. I could barely feel his hand tense where it rested on my leg.

“Worried, pfft…” He rolled his eyes and turned away. I watched patiently as his defenses lowered and he frowned. “Of fuckin’ course I’m worried. I’m always worried about you.”

“Why?”

Cartoonz’s frown deepened. I could feel his thumb moving subconsciously across the blanket. Something in the back of my mind remained uneasy at the familiar touch, but I allowed it. Slowly, that part of me was being broken down. After so many years, these little moments were becoming my most favorite parts of my day. I considered the affection to be payment for Cartoonz allowing me to see so deep into that confusing labyrinth of a mind of his. I focused on the small motions of his hand, allowing it to comfort some deeper part of me as I waited.

“I know me and you didn’t have the greatest experiences in our childhood.” Cartoonz started. He paused to gather his thoughts, his thumb still brushing my ankle. “We’re real fuckin’ similar, me and you. So, I know that if I’m struggling with something, you probably are too.”

“Are you struggling with this? With the holidays?” I prompted softly. Cartoonz took a moment to think about it before nodding slowly.

“It’s not as bad as previous years... When I finally escaped my parents and the training camp, I was never able to enjoy the holidays. Delirious and I always tried to do something for Christmas, but it was like eating out or buying clothes or something. We never celebrated just to celebrate. Hell, Delirious didn’t even know what Christmas was. It was always pretty shit… I always just felt so lost…”

Cartoonz trailed off, a slight hint of regret sparking in his eyes. I watched, understanding that he hadn’t meant to say so much. A soft hum escaped me as I stretched out to press my foot against his thigh. He looked over at me, his expression openly lost. I kept my face covered with my blankets but, for once, I didn’t shrink from the carefully measured eye contact. Cartoonz’s face softened exponentially, like ice cream on a hot day.

“This house is the first place that I’ve had the privilege of calling ‘home’ and actually meaning it.” He whispered, his eyes dark with sincerity.

“Me too.” I admitted, curling into myself subconsciously. A small, nagging regret chewed at the back of my mind. It felt like I’d just cut myself open and laid my heart out for Cartoonz to see. The thought was tempered by the thumb brushing across the blanket over my ankle.

“Hey, you okay?” He asked softly, concern curling into his voice. I nodded a little.

“Sorry. Just got a little too real.”

“That’s alright.” Cartoonz assured me. I felt my heart clench. “It seems to be a habit of ours.”

For a moment, we both fell silent. I could still feel his hand on my ankle, gently moving in small motions.

“The fuck happened to our usual late-night talks anyway?” He piped up, his usual lighthearted tone carefully placed like a small peace offering. I chuckled softly.

“They stopped because we started sleeping in more often and going to bed early.”

“It’s called hibernation, alright?”

“It’s called a terrible fucking sleep schedule.” I retorted. Cartoonz chuckled in that way that vibrated from somewhere deep within him. A moment of silence passed between us.

“I’m so glad we found this place.” He mused, almost too quiet for me to hear.

“Me too.” I responded as quietly.

A slight breeze kicked up outside. I could hear the way it pressed against the house walls. At this point, I was getting just as comfortable as I’d been in my own bed. Except now, Cartoonz was with me. I wasn’t entirely sure why, but I always slept better when he was around. That was a lie. I knew why I instinctively relaxed around him , why he always made me feel safe. That was a problem for a different day though.

“You should share that blanket with me.” I scoffed and wiggled deeper into the couch with my blanket.

“Get your own.”

Cartoonz sighed before getting up. I watched him round the end of the couch, momentarily afraid that I’d actually said something bad. A mental reprimand immediately followed the thought. Cartoonz had assured me on multiple occasions that, if he ever felt uncomfortable, he’d tell me. With that thought in mind, I quietly waited for his return.

It didn’t take long for him to come back. When he did, it was with a massive comforter in his arms and a grin.

“What the hell are ya gonna do with that?” I queried. Cartoonz turned his nose up dramatically.

“Unlike someone, I’m not stingy with my blankets.”

I giggled, the sound soft even to my ears. Toonz smiled before coming over to me. I looked up at him curiously as he spread out part of the comforter over me. He kept a respectful distance as he carefully tucked my half in around my shoulders before curling up on his end of the couch under the blanket. His feet brushed mine briefly as he made himself comfortable. Even after he settled in, his feet stayed mere centimeters from mine. If I were to stretch just right, they would touch. It was the perfect distance to make me comfortable without being overbearing. I watched him from over my blankets a little longer. However, his attention was once again focused resolutely on the TV. His cheeks were tinged slightly red.

It was rare that Toonz ever showed any notable signs of affection. Him opening up and telling me his thoughts was one thing I’d noticed. It was rare though that he ever did things for other people or committed acts of service in general. The most he did was subtle things like offering bites of food or drinks to everyone. He was a very self-sufficient guy, rarely bowing to others. Therefore, the small acts of kindness like this always left me a little dumbfounded. I smiled softly and turned back to the TV.

For a while, we sat, enjoying the quiet atmosphere. I focused in and out on the TV. Mostly though, I just sort of zoned out. Mentally and physically, I felt more relaxed than I had been in years. Younger me would have had a hay day if he knew what I was up to. Sitting down, curled up next to someone that held a special place in my heart, enjoying his favorite show with him. Younger me would’ve said I was an idiot for falling for someone so easily. However, in that moment, I found that I didn’t care. Cartoonz was my person. The one I went to for peace and happiness. It didn’t matter if we ever got together or if we just stayed friends. I was just happy being by his side.

A gentle touch to my foot drew me from my thoughts. I looked down to see Cartoonz smiling over at me, phone in hand. He showed me the screen which read: December 25 th 12:01am.

“Merry Christmas, Ohm.” He murmured softly, voice sweet like honey. I smiled, warmth curling deep into my chest.

“Merry Christmas, Toonz.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhhh I got such a sweet tooth from editing this shit my gods <3<3
> 
> *Ungodly sobbing* They’re so sweet to each other man this is so unfair :’( As I’m editing this, “I Don’t Want to set the World on Fire” just came on and now I’m sobbing whilst imagining these two dancing to it after this chapter and I wanna cry even more why do I do this to myself smh
> 
> /I’ve lost all ambition for worldly acclaim I just wanna be the one you love/ -Cartoonz to Ohm *more ugly crying*
> 
> In any case! Gods I’ve missed you all!! 2020 was a stressful year it was. I got nothing done in an entire year and yet it felt like it lasted forever. Some big developments have occurred recently that have both given me more free time but also more stress so, hopefully, by those two things combined, I’ll have more ambition to write things. Also, the hyperfixation that has taken up the last few months of my life (damn those Minecraft streamers) is slowing down a little for the next few weeks. That said, Chapter 20 for the main plot is already in the works. I have to flesh some things out and do editing so it might be done in the next month or so. We’ll see~
> 
> Thank you guys for sticking around! I appreciate every single one of you!
> 
> Thank you for reading <3

**Author's Note:**

> I have other social media platforms on Tumblr, Twitter, Wattpad, and DeviantArt. I will be posting this story on Wattpad as well as Tumblr and I plan to use my DeviantArt as a site for all the fanart I do. DeviantArt is also the place where I will post my designs for each person in the story. Q&As are always open on Tumblr.  
> Tumblr: Zephyra-loves-kpop  
> Twitter: @ZephyraEvelynn  
> Wattpad: @ZephyraEvelynn  
> DeviantArt: ZephyraEvelynn


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